Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time

The manifestation of the Lord of Ipwang Fortress.

Shin Byeok's words merely confirmed what had already been noticed by Prince Gungmyeong and Im Jin-myeong.

The bell within the inner fortress was a kind of sacred relic. Only a few could perceive its resonance. Only those who had refined their upper dantian to a great degree could hear it.

"When do you think he will arrive?"

Prince Gungmyeong asked the other two. The letter he had crumpled earlier had, at some point, straightened out as crisp as new, thanks to his perfectly controlled internal energy. It happened right after the bell rang.

Im Jin-myeong pretended not to notice.

"He had gone too deep. A place where no human could return alive. If the bell is only ringing now, it will take some time."

"Even so, the Black Call to Arms must be revoked. I will not allow it."

"Understood."

There was no other answer to give.

After all, they could no longer withdraw the standing forces of Ipwang Fortress.

The emergence of the greatest under heaven was an event that would capture the attention of the entire world. Even if she was heading toward Zhejiang, all eyes would also turn toward the main fortress in Yangyang.

Among those eyes would be those of enemies lying in wait, eager to see the downfall of Ipwang Fortress.

Such was the influence of the Lord of Annihilation Sword.

"The fortress must be fortified."

Im Jin-myeong spoke reluctantly.

Even with all the supreme masters moving, the presence of the Divine Sword Sect Lords remained absolute.

There were more than a dozen warriors capable of challenging a supreme martial artist in joint combat. It was the duty of the Central Command of Ipwang Fortress to continuously remind the world of that fact.

If even a single great faction dared to encroach upon Yangyang, the already delicate order of the martial world would be thrown into chaos.

"The Bloodflame Cult, with its First Apostle rising to the position of cult leader. The Blades of Ruin, now more powerful than any military force. The Ming Sect, having absorbed Sunmaryeon... The Wulong Society, Yeoryeong, Moonlit Shadows, the Army of Green Forest, the Myriad Water Pirates…"

Tap. Tap.

Prince Gungmyeong tapped the table with his index finger.

"The need for a powerful military force is urgent, and yet, I wonder what is happening with Sim Mu-ryeon. The task of monitoring it was given to the Shandong Ak Family… but I’ve heard rumors that the head of the family has been losing his mind."

"Lord Gun Yu-rin of the Lotus Pavilion and the Sovereign of Light, Gongsun Min, are both known as great talents of the world. They are intelligent people. They wouldn’t neglect their duties now."

"The matter in Hangzhou is serious. It will affect the entire world."

"That seems inevitable. At this moment, there are at least six supreme martial artists in Zhejiang. Besides them, the Azure Spear and the Silent Shadow Sword of the main fortress are also there. If all of them are unleashed into the world once again..."

"The real question is how many will return. No one knows how far the schemes of the Lord of Taemo Fortress will go. And we have no idea where the Lord of Annihilation Sword will choose to go."

At those words, Im Jin-myeong’s eyes widened slightly. He had just realized something.

There was another place where the Lord of Ipwang Fortress might head.

"...This is bad."

"Hmm."

Shin Byeok, who had remained silent, let out a quiet sigh.

The three of them had arrived at the same thought.